Birth of a Nation

Plot Overview

Analysis of Major Characters

Colonel Ben Cameron -

Played
by Henry Walthall

The noble savior of the
South, proud founder of the Ku Klux Klan, and protagonist of the
film. A genteel, intelligent family man, Ben, “the Little Colonel,”
rises to great achievement when blacks threaten the honor of the South.
His character has the greatest emotional range. He smiles broadly,
cultivates a special, caring relationship with his youngest sister,
and pats and touches his slaves affectionately (Griffith’s code
for graciousness). But when war comes, he seethes with patriotic
anger against the threat posed to traditional plantation life, expressing
this anger by tossing his body around and writhing feverishly. Later,
he fumes with racist hatred.

The idealistic, loyal daughter
of the abolitionist leader Austin Stoneman. Elsie lovingly dotes
on her family and often kneels deferentially at her father’s feet.
Her fragile daguerreotype image helps Ben Cameron through the war.
The audiences of 1915 would have been intimately
familiar with Elsie’s pale white skin and deep-eyed expressions
of innocence, for Gish was the superstar stage and screen actress
of her time. Like today’s film celebrities, Gish conjured up a “type”
for filmgoers: a frail, ethereal, pure-hearted beauty. Elsie’s presence
floats angelically over the film.

The abolitionist
leader from the North who wields power over Reconstruction after
Lincoln’s assassination, and the antagonist of the film. A bookish
man who often holds meetings in his library, Stoneman is portrayed
as physically flawed and lacking in moral character. He limps and
walks with a cane, wears a wig, and lusts after his mulatto housekeeper.

The mulatto politician
and overseer of day-to-day operations during Reconstruction who
becomes South Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor. Portrayed as evil
from the start because of his mixed-race parentage, Lynch often
spies on Elsie or lusts after other women, giving sideways glances
and clutching his hat anxiously. His character represents the stereotype
of savage sexuality in people of African heritage.

The excitable, youngest Cameron sister who grows
into a teenager during the course of the film. Often called “Little
Sister,” Flora is at first impishly playful. As she matures over
the course of the war, she serves as a metaphor for the sea changes swamping
the South. She adores her older brother, Ben, and faces the ravages
of the war bravely with an increasingly haggard appearance and a
careworn face.

The elder Cameron sister
who eventually falls for Phil Stoneman. Trained in the etiquette
of the old South, Margaret, a quiet, round-faced flower, moves with
dignity. Her facial expressions are small and subtle but reveal
a great deal of emotion behind her reserved façade.

Phil Stoneman -

Played
by Elmer Clifton

The eldest Stoneman brother
who takes a liking to Margaret Cameron. A respectful, top-hatted,
mustached man with a quiet dignity, Phil slowly courts Margaret.
In battle, he rises to become one of the most successful Union leaders.

Tod Stoneman -

Played
by Robert Harron

The youngest Stoneman brother.
Tod enlivens the screen as a wildly expressive, playful fop. Thin
and energetic, Tod stands in strong contrast to the reserved demeanor
of his older brother. Upon his visit to Piedmont, he resumes his
boyish roughhousing with Duke.

Gus -

Played in
blackface by white actor Walter Long

An emancipated
slave who lusts after Flora. Gus becomes an enemy of the Klan after
pursuing Flora to her death.

Dr. Cameron -

Played
by Spottiswoode Aitken

The aging head of
the Cameron family. Dr. Cameron is thin, white-haired, and reserved.
He reads the newspapers to his family, disseminating national information.
Essentially powerless in the war, he nevertheless reigns over his family
with patriarchal beneficence.

Wade Cameron -

Played
by George Beranger

The mustached, middle
Cameron brother. Wade is little seen before he goes off to war.
His death serves as another harsh reminder of war for the Camerons,
who mourn him back at home.

Duke Cameron -

Played
by Maxfield Stanley

The youngest Cameron brother.
Duke returns Tod Stoneman’s affection and playfulness, and his vibrancy
around the Cameron homestead emphasizes his youth.

Mrs. Cameron -

Played
by Josephine Crowell

The stout, stoic wife
of Dr. Cameron. Mrs. Cameron, with her tightly pulled-back hair,
silently serves as a pillar of support for the Cameron girls at
home. Mostly, she worries and mourns, especially over the loss of
her three sons “to the cause.”

President Abraham Lincoln -

Played by Joseph Henabery

A god among
men, referred to as the “Great Heart.” Lincoln genuinely acts for
the benefit of all. When he rises from his chair, he stands above
the surrounding representatives, who stay back at a detached, respectful distance.
His tall stature indicates his moral superiority. Lincoln moves
slowly and with dignity and looks in the distance as if he’s seeing
far into the future. His death signals a devastating turning point
for the South.

Lydia Brown -

Played
in blackface by white actress Mary Alden

The Stonemans’
housekeeper. A lustful mulatto, Lydia becomes sexually aroused whenever
she overhears strong orders being given in Stoneman’s library. She licks
her fingers, beats her breast, and eventually becomes Stoneman’s
mistress.